Monday, Monday
Monday is Yoga Day here at Casa Denise and this week was no different. I love my weekly Gentle Yoga classes and am still sad that my teacher cancelled the Wednesday classes that were slightly more active and less relaxing. Yoga brings the relaxation and integration of body, mind, and spirit that has become my current focus on the journey to better health and loving my body. There is practically no way to be out of harmony with your body while you're doing yoga because you FEEL everything so intensely. However...
Since dropping the 18 year old off at college, I've really been fighting with my lower back during weekly yoga sessions - it simply doesn't want to release and let go. I send love to it, I focus my breathing on it, and I drop out of poses early to try to stretch it into submission. But, much like the overall journey I'm on, my back is not on my schedule (on which everything would be done yesterday) and I just keep telling myself that this is a lesson for me. A lesson in the patience and love for my body that I need to cultivate. I can't force my back to release the tension it's holding and getting frustrated just makes it worse. Only time, love, and perseverance will bring me what I want - in this case to be able to work out my lower body without discomfort - and the faster I accept that, the faster I'll get what I want. Deep sigh.
I'm cheating for my daily picture because I didn't remember to bring my iPhone with me to class so I couldn't have anyone take a picture of me with my mat. The picture below, however, is of the mat I'm going to buy myself as a treat. My body is heavier than most folks who practice yoga so the super thin mats that are standard just don't provide enough cushion for my knees, arms, and back...this one is the thickest I've seen. It apparently won't work for poses requiring balance, but my teacher has stopped offering the Wednesday classes that included standing/balance poses, so this should be perfect for me until I can find another class that is gentle yet active.
Since dropping the 18 year old off at college, I've really been fighting with my lower back during weekly yoga sessions - it simply doesn't want to release and let go. I send love to it, I focus my breathing on it, and I drop out of poses early to try to stretch it into submission. But, much like the overall journey I'm on, my back is not on my schedule (on which everything would be done yesterday) and I just keep telling myself that this is a lesson for me. A lesson in the patience and love for my body that I need to cultivate. I can't force my back to release the tension it's holding and getting frustrated just makes it worse. Only time, love, and perseverance will bring me what I want - in this case to be able to work out my lower body without discomfort - and the faster I accept that, the faster I'll get what I want. Deep sigh.
I'm cheating for my daily picture because I didn't remember to bring my iPhone with me to class so I couldn't have anyone take a picture of me with my mat. The picture below, however, is of the mat I'm going to buy myself as a treat. My body is heavier than most folks who practice yoga so the super thin mats that are standard just don't provide enough cushion for my knees, arms, and back...this one is the thickest I've seen. It apparently won't work for poses requiring balance, but my teacher has stopped offering the Wednesday classes that included standing/balance poses, so this should be perfect for me until I can find another class that is gentle yet active.
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